Burst of colour at icy heights

Orange, crimson and scarlet... the lush valley of Dunagiri Peak has exotic flowers

Searching for the rare Phen Kamal, presumed to be the Sanjeevani herb by Ayurvedic experts, and the exotic Brahma Kamal, an orchid cactus named after the God of Creation and believed to bloom only for one night in a year, we walked on the slopes of the mighty Dunagiri Peak (23,106ft) alongside the murky waters of the Nandi Kund (16,000 ft) in the Garhwal Himalaya, which is home to extraordinary flowering and medicinal plants.

Trudging through forests of oak, pine and fir, we came to the green alpine meadows of this lush valley. The monsoon clouds seemed threatening; the silk cotton tree, covered with crimson cups, attracted the birds and bees with its sweet nectar. The scarlet flowers of the Eriyethrina, the orange bloom of the Flame of the Forest, the pink, white and purple Bahunia and the white blossoms of the elephant apple tree had arranged themselves comfortably at 8,000 ft.

Flowers in bloom on a mountain slope

The violets, yellow buttercups, dandelions, balsams, the Himalayan blue poppies, the anemones, red, white and pink potentillas, the saxifrage, the alpine rock cress, all appeared after a sharp shower. Above 10,000 ft, the perennial marsh marigolds covered the grassy alpine bugiyals near streams formed by melted snow.

Mesmerising hues

The common Rhododendron Arboreum, an evergreen tree, bearing clusters of rich red, purple, mauve, white and pink flowers, the short, stunted Rhododendron Anthopogon or the dwarf variety in the higher realms, the blooms of the colourful Primulas hugging the ground on stony and dry slopes, the Iris and the Himalayan orchid mesmerised us with their burst of colour. In the damp forests, on the wet soil of the meadows near streams, we were enthralled by the striking pink Impatiens or the balsams. And then appeared from among the bushes a purple cobra lily or the Arisaema, with the spadix snaking down from its hood extending several feet, twisting and twirling in mid-air.

Phen kamal and marsh marigolds

When we reached an altitude of 14,000 ft on a rocky slope near a mountain stream, we could see the Brahma Kamal ( Sausserea Obvallata ), an orchid cactus with light yellowish green papery bracts with purple flower-heads within.

Phen kamal for hidden in the Himalayas column

We were negotiating a tough route on a scree slope at 16,000ft, when our eyes fell on a globular mass of fine hair, resembling cotton wool, blending with the terrain. This was the Phen Kamal ( Saussurea Gossypiphora ), the Sanjeevani that brought Lakshman, Lord Rama’s brother, back to life. We were excited to encounter these two plants that have a mythological significance. Phen Kamal blooms during the monsoons between July and September as does the Brahma Kamal.

The writers are ace photographers known for their travelogues